PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The final day of February will bring the first lacrosse action to Pleasantville as the Pace University men's lacrosse team begins its 2023 season against Molloy College on Feb. 28.

LAST SEASON
At 11-4 overall and 7-3 in the NE10, Pace's 2022 season was one of its best in program history. The Setters defeated all four of their non-conference opponents by a total score of 77-21. The Blue and Gold's best win of the year came in mid-April when they won at 16^th-ranked Bentley in overtime.

2023 SCHEDULE
The Setters will play four non-conference contests this spring in addition to the usual slate of 10 NE10 matchups. Following the opener against Molloy, Pace's non-league games will be versus Wilmington (March 4), Lynn University (March 11) and Georgian Court (March 18). The Setters will face Lynn at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.

Pace's regular season will end with nine consecutive NE10 games, including home games against Le Moyne (March 28), Franklin Pierce (April 8), Bentley (April 15), and Saint Anselm (April 19).

PRESEASON POLLS
The Setters were picked to finish fourth in the NE10 according to the preseason coaches poll released in late January. Adelphi and Le Moyne were picked as the two favorites while Saint Anselm came in at No. 3.

Nationally speaking, the Pace were slotted 11th in the country by USA Lacrosse Magazine and 13th  by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). 

PRESEASON All-AMERICANS
A trio of Setters were tabbed to have sensational 2023 campaigns according to USA Lacrosse Magazine, Inside Lacrosse and the USILA.

Senior Anthony Caputo (Westbury, N.Y./W.T Clarke) picked up a pair of second-team All-America distinctions, in addition to a third-team selection. Graduate goalie Louis Ragusa (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) was also honored with second-team nods by USA Lacrosse Magazine and the USILA.

Another graduate student, Jake Veres (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville), rounded out the selections with a spot on the USILA's third team and Inside Lacrosse's third team.

Veres led the Blue and Gold in both goals (40) and total points (64) a year ago while Ragusa led the entire NE10 in save percentage (62.3) and ranked fourth in total saves (177).

MORE RETURNERS
Sophomore Ryan Mimnaugh (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) is also back for the Blue and Gold after being named to the NE10's All-Rookie Team in 2022. All in all, a total of 31 Setters are back from last year's squad.

COACH MARIANO
Now in his 10th season at Pace, head coach Tom Mariano has been superb in leading the Setters. In fact, Pace has won an average of 9.8 games per year across the last five completed seasons.

Mariano also piloted the Blue and Gold to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2017.  Pace has been a mainstay in the USILA's national rankings during Mariano's tenure in Pleasantville.